


Smoke and Mirrors

by LadyNightsong



Series: Sicut in Caelo et in Terra [5]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Deity Au, Gen, after this? only the epilogue! yay!, and once again the tagged relationships are background, homunculi for the first timeeee ;3, just...... fyi to anyone who needs to know that. nothing graphic tho, warning: there is kidnapping and brainwashing but its not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-01-15 06:10:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12315324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNightsong/pseuds/LadyNightsong
Summary: When our little group encounters the homunculi for the first time and sees first-hand what they’re capable of, it isn’t pretty.





	1. Chapter 1

To all outward appearances, Maes Hughes is not an inherently quiet person. His boisterous personality draws attention and fills up a room effortlessly, and this ability is one of the many reasons he is Roy’s close friend. 

When he disembarked the train in South City, however,  he slipped off without notice or fanfare. Silently and inconspicuously, he made his way through the throng of people and left the station. Watchful and intelligent green eyes glinted behind his glasses, taking note of the people he passed, paying undue attention to the scenery, scanning as he walked.

He was traveling across town, and hailed a taxi as he exited the station. Giving the cabbie the address of a random bar in the same area of town as his destination, they made their way through the traffic of South City’s downtown. As the cab sped towards the outskirts of the city, they left behind the congestion, and Maes idly observed the buildings grow more and more decrepit until they finally came to a stop. Paying his fare and stepping out of the cab, Maes watched it disappear around a corner, then reviewed what he had to do. He, Roy, Gracia, and Riza had been on the trail of Hohenheim- and the group of rouge deities that he had been investigating- for over a year now, and they had tracked their movements to South City. A certain bar that happened to be about a block away, in fact. 

But Maes’ strength lied in his ability to synthesize information, in his ability to differentiate between significant details and chaff. This was reconnaissance, and only step one. Their goal, to restore balance and order to the Pantheon (in place of the chaos that reigned with Truth alone at the helm) and get the boys their father back, was seemingly within reach. It would be cruel irony to move too quickly and let this opportunity slip through their fingers, or lose all progress. Cautiously, Maes made his way through the dusky streets, his fellow passerby illuminated only by the warm and faint candescence of the street-lamps. The block passed, and Maes was standing before a hole in the wall bar, with a hand painted sign labeling it The Devil’s Nest. Maes forced down a chuckle- he really doubted that- and, drawing his long coat around himself and making sure his hat was secure, he stepped through the door. It was late, and the place was inhabited by uproariously drunk regulars, there to enjoy their Friday night. They didn’t pay him much heed, but Maes noticed that he had caught the attention of the man tending the bar, and a talkative guy in black leather sitting in the corner, who was loud but mostly sober and chatting with the group of people sitting around him. Wondering if he should be internally cursing, Maes removed his hat and coat- no need to be remembered as someone secretive, and he knew his clothes had been carefully chosen to reveal nothing important, just hopefully one more passing man in the night- and walked up to the bar with a grin, ordering a pint of a common brew that he didn't actually intend to drink. Once that was delivered, there was more to be done for the other patrons, and he lost the interest of the bartender. Maes glanced around the room, noting what he could see of the kitchen and backrooms. Smoke from various cigarettes rose up and curled around the room, creating faux halos around the heads of those enjoying their Friday night, casting the dim light in a hazy orange. There was a distinctly predatory glint to the popular man’s toothy grin, and Maes had to force his shoulders not to tense and hands not to fist as he felt the man’s eyes boring into the back of his shirt. 

Shit. 

 If there was something involving the Pantheon here, they had expected it to be a black secret; certainly they had planned on those in the know being in the backrooms alongside the info they wanted and not conspicuously enjoying the front lobby. But this was okay. 

‘Get the information, get out,’ Maes reminded himself. He was still just one stranger in a small bar in South City at night, and if by some minute chance this guy knew that Maes was a Guardian, that still gave nothing else away. Even if it was unnerving. 

There was a sign directing people to the restrooms, and after intentionally spilling some of his drink behind the bar- it would be lazy, at this point, to allow someone to realize that he hadn't taken a single sip- Maes got off the bar stool to head over there. There were the restrooms, of course, but he grinned when he saw the unmarked third door. He cracked it, peering in, and could see a small kitchen as well as doors leading to other parts of the staff rooms. It was unstaffed, as they had stopped selling the bar food a half hour ago, and Maes quietly slipped in, catching the door as it swung to softly click it shut and padding through the empty room. He had just opened the door to the staff rooms when he heard the door to the kitchen open behind him. Maes turned around, slowly pivoting, one hand reaching for the human weapon he'd brought.  

Behind him stood the leather-dressed man from the front room. He was flanked by a stunning woman with flowing dark hair and voluptuous curves, as well as a long-haired teen. Maes gulped. 

“And what are you doing here?” The woman purred, one hand cradling the side of her face, mouth curling into a cruel smile. 

“Nobody takes what's ours,” the man said, jutting his chin out and pointing a thumb at himself. “And I’m not letting you get away with it. You really picked a bad time…”

 _‘Gracia, forgive me,’_ the thought ran through Maes’ head. _‘I really should have been internally cursing this whole time…’_   He chuckled lowly at his own joke, even as the three advanced toward him. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another shorter chapter, but that's why I'm posting something every day after this (and then same thing will go for the 'epilogue')
> 
> If you want to see more of what the Pantheon is like, I made a moodboard of its fashion, architecture and just its aesthetic, which you can find here -> https://www.pinterest.com/sydsva101/sicut-in-caelo-moodboard/

Maes was late.

He had only planned to be there for an hour and a half, maybe two at _most_ , because he was just getting a look at the place. 

There had been no call to let them know what was happening, and he had now been gone for two hours and ten minutes, and Roy thought that if the clock continued to mockingly taunt him with its _tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock_ that he might just snap. Most likely literally, just for flair. Then again, he currently didn’t believe the thing deserved to go out with a bang. He had kicked his habit of pacing centuries ago, but suddenly he needed a perpetual and useless activity. 

Riza and Gracia were sitting on the sofa side by side, and Roy was standing by the phone.

The clock continued on, and time slowed to a snail’s pace. 

 

* * *

 

Maes was now 25 minutes late, and still there was no word. Gracia’s hands were folded in her lap, and she sat wordlessly, waiting, eyes lost in a thousand-mile stare as time flowed around her. 

Riza had joined Roy standing at the phone. Since her rebirth as a Guardian, and, she suspected, even while alive, she had been a person of action. All this waiting was not in her nature, not as it was in Gracia’s. She locked eyes with Roy, whose hands were clenching. 

“Let's go.” Was all she had to say. 

Gracia’s head snapped up at Riza’s words, and she stood, wings outstretched in her eagerness to have answers. Roy grabbed Riza’s hand- Guardians had no opportunity to earn wings- and then they were in South City, in the same part of town where Maes had directed the cab. Together, they walked the darkened streets, moving towards the same bar. Once there, they saw a narrow alley occupied only by trash cans and a singular cat. Roy took the lead, carefully going to the door that lead into the establishment. He tried the door, but it was locked, so he summoned a tiny blue-hot flame with a snap of his fingers. Using it to melt the lock and handle to slag, the metal parts of the lock simply drained away, and with that Roy just pushed the door open. Once they'd gotten open the exterior door, there were three options: they could see an archway leading to empty kitchens, as well as a hallway leading to a staff room and manager’s office. They could hear the sound of laughter and loud chatting coming from the front room, which seemed to be beyond the kitchens. A third stairway lead downstairs, presumably to a storage area for food. Roy motioned Gracia to head down there, and he and Riza started moving toward the office. They crept slowly, carefully; their senses on a tripwire and footsteps slow, careful, and silent. 

Gracia moved down the stairs in much the same way, guard up and focused, listening and looking. She didn’t know what lay beyond the door at the end of the staircase, and she was afraid, but knew she had to power through. When she reached the end of the stairway, the plain wooden door loomed over her; gritting her teeth she gripped the handle. Turning it ever so slowly, she carefully cracked open the door, inching it open to reveal the scene behind. 

The first thing she noticed about the room as the door swung open was its metal shelving. They had been right; it was a food storage room. Then she swept her eyes around. That was when she noticed her husband, bound and gagged, slumped against the wall. A small, shocked sound escaped her lips, and she rushed towards him.

Something closed the door behind her, and the lock slid shut with an echoing click.

She whirled around, already preparing to fly and escape with Maes and whatever information he had uncovered, when she caught the eyes of the one who had shut the door. She dimly registered that this was a teenage kid, lanky with long black hair. Their eyes’ irises were an inky, unnatural black, and this deeply unsettled her but she wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ , tear her gaze away. They took a step toward her, a feral, taunting grin stretching across their face, and though she wanted so badly to run away she was paralyzed. Her breathing became labored, and she felt sweat beginning to run down her back and face. 

“What…” she rasped. “What is this?” 

She could barely speak. The effort it took to force those words out left her head swimming, and desperately, fervently, she tried to retain focus-

“Hello,” they said, and their voice was a thick roll of smoke clouding her eyes and settling over her mind, heavy and _loud_ even though they’d spoken at a normal volume. “Manipulating people is so much fun,” they chuckled to themselves before continuing. “We’re the good guys now! We’re on your side! Tell us everything you know. You’ll totally be helping out a lot of people.” Gracia’s teeth and hands were clenched. While some part of her screamed out against this, and was slowly coming to the realization that she was face-to-face with a rouge deity, and that they had powers to deceive and brainwash, and that she was in _way over her head_ , there was nothing she could do. She took a ragged breath. 

“No,” she wheezed, doubling over as the teen just laughed. She could hear them walking over to her- footsteps falling heavily on her ears as they got closer. 

“Go on, tell me. You know you want to!” This time, the words were even louder in her mind. Slowly, jerkily, she straightened up, and her hands unclenched. Her eyes glazed over. She opened her mouth. Out started pouring inflectionless words- what she had just realized, where they were staying, what they knew about Hohenheim. Behind her, she could detachedly hear Maes slowly waking up. Her attention, however, was drawn to the scene in front of her. A woman and man had joined the teen, and she was giving Gracia a smile that didn’t scare her like it should have. “Perfect. One more thing: you never saw us; and you’ve gotta pretend like we’re bad. Got it? We want you to be our spy. You can give us information here.” With that, the woman held out a folded note. Gracia nodded, accepting the note with a small, absent smile on her face, as she walked in between the three and back up the stairs. 

 

After all, she now had work to do; a new mission. While some small part of her fought against the haze blanketing her mind, she nevertheless intended to carry this mission out. 


	3. Chapter 3

Gracia knew what she had to do. She dashed up the stairs, now not caring about making nose, and hurried to the manager’s office. Roy and Riza were bent over an open filing cabinet, rifling through the records. They looked up when she burst into the room. 

“I found him,” The rushed words tumbled out. “He’s downstairs in the food storage!” With that, Roy and Riza followed her down the hallway and staircase. When they opened the door, there he was, bound and gagged with glasses missing but now awake. Gracia knelt by his side, Roy joining her while Riza checked around the room. 

“We got everything we needed from here, I think.” Riza offered, and Roy nodded, crouching down to undo everything and picking him up.

“We can take care of him at your place, right?” Gracia asked, anxiety lacing her voice. Roy nodded, grabbing Riza’s hand. In the block of an eye they were in Roy’s living room, and while Riza went to gather the healing food of the deities, Roy laid Maes on the couch, Gracia kneeling beside him. She had been murmuring to him the entire time, and, realizing that he was safe, Maes gave a heavy, cathartic exhale and laid his head against the cushion. He drifted off into healing sleep, only to be woken when Riza returned with ambrosia. 

It would work its magic on him overnight, and while deities and Guardians didn't truly need sleep, the three of them eagerly surrendered their anxieties to unconsciousness. 

 

* * *

 

Roy awoke early, when the house was still and waiting. He took a moment for centering his mind and casting out his awareness, seeking peace in the far-away sounds of the city that truly never slept and the soft sound of breathing from beside him, in time with a heartbeat he felt thrumming under his fingers. 

Deities like him did not have breathing lungs or beating hearts; Guardians were different and fragile in the physical reminders of their relative mortality. 

Yet the definitions in Riza Hawkeye’s arms spoke of strength, and the expression of her relaxed face, nestled against his chest, was still one of quiet fortitude and determination. He knew that because of her, human weapons, modified to injure even those like him, were hidden safely in this very room. So much about her, even in sleep, spoke of the steely strength and unyielding prowess that characterized her time in the Pantheon. 

Neither of them lived without regrets, as a Guardian bound to a system that assigned her people to protect, regardless of their motivation or actions, and as powerful deity called upon in sometimes extremely convoluted situations, faced with no desirable options. 

For that reason and upon that foundation their relationship had been built, seeking not to atone for their actions- because for certain things they knew they never could- but to move forward and work to ensure it could be avoided in the future. After centuries, he knew her every thought as if it were his own, and they learned each other’s idiosyncrasies. 

He knew, without question, that she meant the world to him and was his most significant and intimate relationship. At her informing him that the feeling was mutual, well; the Pantheon had long ago adopted human terms for relationships, and visiting the human world for symbolic things such as rings was simple. (Guardian-deity relationships aren’t exactly commonplace, but also not too unusual, and generally not viewed as inherently negative, provided it be a healthy relationship. This was a line of reasoning he often found himself walking down, but as Riza had no qualms about getting onto him and and he trusted her wholeheartedly to be his confidante, make decisions alongside him, and be his moral compass if his got askew, he trusted there was no power imbalance.) 

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, and hearing her sigh and shift closer to him underneath the sheets, he ached in sympathy for how Gracia must have been feeling at the prospect of losing Maes.

He sighed, knowing he should get up. The night’s rest had done his psyche good, but now there were things to be done. Riza murmured and blinked awake when he climbed out of bed, and he gave her a small smile, walking over to sit on her side and hold her hand as she sat up against the pillows. 

“Good morning,” she murmured, voice still tinged with sleep but eyes bright. He returned her greeting before getting up to change out of the nightwear and into a more usual outfit. Riza joined him, changing into a simpler Pantheon fashion, starting the day in sync. 

Once ready, Riza popped her head into the bedroom Gracia had used to find the older deity sitting on the edge of her bed, eyes staring off into nothing as if in a trance, silently muttering to herself. 

“Gracia?” Riza hesitantly prompted, stepping fully into the room. Gracia startled, standing up, dress swishing around her, looking at Riza for the first time. “Is everything alright?” She haltingly asked. Gracia nodded, a bit stiffly, before offering a smile.

“Yes, all is well. I'm sorry to have worried you. Shall we check on Maes?” With that, the older woman brushed past Riza toward the living room. Riza glanced back into the bedroom as if it held answers before following. It was strange behavior, to be sure, but this was a strange situation; undoubtedly the goddess was extremely stressed.

Riza thought nothing of it as she joined the others in checking on Maes in the living room. And if anything seemed off to the man who knew Gracia so well, then he just chalked it up to his own state.

(And if he had strange, muddled and hazy memories of seeing her before he was rescued, he just chalked it up to exhaustion. He barely knew what he remembered.)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry! I know this is quite short. and i lost internet access for a few days so I couldn't get this out when I planned to. But here we are, and the next chapter will definitely be longer- it just felt right to end at the stopping point here, even if it made this a short chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Time passed, and after a day, Maes was fine. While Guardians couldn't die of old age, they could be killed; luckily, his injuries had healed quickly with the ambrosia. He recounted for them what had happened: describing the three who had snuck up on him and attacked. 

“They knocked me out when they got me, but by the time I woke up, you guys were there.” He frowned as he recounted, a question suddenly occurring to him. “Why didn't they move me, or get me without knocking me out? Didn’t they want to question me? And if they knew I was trying to gather information, they would have assumed there were people who knew where I’d be and come looking. They didn't need to knock me out or keep me there, I was way outmatched…” he mused aloud. He raised a good question, and as Gracia gave a contemplative ‘hmm’, Roy leaned forward to set his elbows on the coffee table.

“That's… yeah, strange.” He said, mulling over his thoughts. Riza raised an eyebrow. 

“You're suggesting they wanted us to come get you? Sure, it was easy, but what would they stand to gain from that?” she asked, raising a hand to her mouth subconsciously as she pondered the question. 

“I dunno,” Maes replied, shrugging. “It just seems off.” At his words, Gracia tutted, resting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Oh, please don't worry yourself over it, dear. We got you back safe, and we were able to get information on where their other operations are.” She spoke in a voice like sweet dessert wine. While the saccharine tone and words may have seemed a little off, nobody scrutinized them, and they flew under cover of ignorance. 

But as the weeks went by, ignorance was not bliss. True to Envy’s brainwashing, Gracia kept them informed of the new information they'd acquired, leaving tidbits of intel at a dead drop.  This had been orchestrated by Gracia and the Homunculi- for they now knew that was what they called themselves- to be at a specific area outside of the central meeting place where deities could all convene as a Pantheon. She went every week, under the guise of a walk to clear her head. Every word she wrote to the Homunculi, betraying those she loved, withered away a part of her soul. 

And they were none the wiser. She was, after all, still Gracia; the deity of family and nurturing who baked for pleasure and loved her husband and wanted children (and worked as a double agent.)

When they made plans to investigate the small human town of Liore, she made sure the homunculi knew in advance. When they visited Liore, there was nothing unusual to be seen. 

“Damn it, they're one step ahead of us,” Maes had exclaimed, frustration rolling off his tense frame in waves. She had to bring her tea up to her face to hide a smile.

What she didn't notice was Riza’s notation of her expression. One could, after all, read emotions from eyes and the quirk of eyebrows; Riza knew she had been grinning. While she didn't know what to make of it, she understood that her concern for her friend was valid. 

It was two weeks after that conversation that Maes approached Riza. 

“Does Gracia seem well to you?” He asked, pulling her aside one afternoon they were together. The pregnant pause before her response spoke volumes.

“To be frank… i’m concerned for her. I wondered if something was happening, but didn't want to pry into your private business.” She murmured back to him, worry evident in her voice and eyes. Maes shook his head. 

“No, nothing happened… as far as I know. Thank you, Riza. I needed to know this wasn't all in my head before I asked.” He muttered in reply, laying a hand on her shoulder before slinking away. Roy was visiting the Elrics, and so when Maes saw Gracia lounging on the chaise lounge, he perched beside her and laid a hand on her knee. “Can we talk?” He began carefully, and Gracia straightened up, nodding. “Honey… you understand that you can trust me with anything weighing on you, or going on, right?” At his hesitant words, Gracia stiffened, and he tried to look her in the eyes, worry growing as she refused. 

“What's the meaning of this?” She practically spat, the acerbic words charging the air, glaring at nothing on the floor opposite Maes. His grip tightened minutely on her knee, and he leaned forward, fear giving way to earnestly on his features. 

“It's that I want to help you, Gracia! You haven't been yourself recently, I want you to know that whatever it is going on, you can rely on me!”

At his words, the part of her not being deceived by Envy cried out, and her entire soul churned, caught in a painful battle. She wanted so so badly to trust the man she loved, but she couldn't, she had to do what she could to help everyone, Envy had told her so- 

In the end, she just fled. Logically she knew, even as she flew away, that she wasn't helping the situation; she didn't particularly care if escaping would ease her agony. 

In her anxiety, she forgot that people could travel along via physical contact, and barely even noticed Maes when she finally landed. 

She had gone to a place of familiarity, seeking answers and to get away; she now stood before the dead drop site. 

Maes stumbled back. reeling from the sudden flight. Gracia whirled around to see him and gasped loudly, entire body recoiling, taking a step forward and almost reaching out to him before grimacing and taking flight. 

When Envy, Pride, and Greed were interrupted by Gracia bursting into the Devil’s Nest, they knew something was wrong. Her dress was conspicuous and wings still held in the air as she heaved breaths. They turned to her, waiting expectantly for her to speak. 

“Did they figure it out?” Pride asked bluntly, arms crossed over his chest. Gracia looked up them silently, not wanting to answer, suddenly mortified the realization that she had overreacted. 

“They realized something is wrong,” she began, before she was interrupted by Envy’s loud groan. 

“You're kidding me! Well now they definitely know something’s wrong; good going.” Annoyance dripped from his voice and Gracia flinched away. “Who were you with? You didn't leave them where they could let other people know, did you?

“Maes,” Gracia whispered. “And… no, he's alone. He's at the dead drop site.” Pride sneered at this, but turned to the other two. “Let's go, then.” 

In the blink of an eye, they were gone, and Gracia was alone in the room. She dimly made the realization that it was an office as she sank to her knees and laid her forehead against the carpeted floor, curling her wings around herself and sobbing. 

 

* * *

 

When Maes stumbled to his feet, he knew he had to think critically. As concerned as he was about Gracia, he was alone, and practically stranded; he had no way of getting anywhere and no telephone. A few deities had business in the center and were in the area, but none had taken notice of their seconds-long incident. ‘ _Think, Maes. There had to be a reason she came here.’_ He walked to a nearby bench, sitting down and putting his head in his hands. After a few moments, he exhaled sharply, and raised his head to survey. Gracia had been facing this bench when she landed, he remembered. He rose and stood where she had been, surveying what she had seen before she had turned around. Had she been looking at something specific? Was there a reason she had come here? When he examined the large potted plants, he raised his eyebrows in mild confusion and curiosity. One of them to his right had three twigs lying on the ground beside it, propped up against each other in a small pyramid. ‘Well that’s…weird.’ He thought to himself, walking over to them. There was no reason for someone to be over here unless they were walking to the meeting amphitheater, or the complex of Guardian administrative buildings it was connected to. 

He almost shrugged and moved on when he saw an envelope hidden in the pot, shielded by the plant’s branches. His eyes narrowed. He reached out, hand trembling minutely, and grabbed the envelope. It was white, unmarked; unsuspecting. He removed what was inside and exhaled to find a handwritten letter. 

A wave of nausea crashed over him as he recognized Gracia's looping script. 

The trembling in his hands and increased, though still just barely noticeable, as he read her words. Here was information on their investigation, on Hohenheim and even Ed and Al. He staggered to a seat on the park bench, letter clutched in now trembling hands, teeth clenching and heart twisting as he read his wife’s betrayal. 

When he heard the heavy thud of footsteps, he raised his head, and stood when he saw three of the Homunculi stalking toward him. Sweat dripped down his back and forehead. There were Envy and Greed, accompanied by a child- which concerned and confused him, but he could think about that later. 

Greed unholstered a gun, brought from the human world. Then many things happened at once. 

With a flurry of feathers, Gracia appeared behind the Homunculi, already mid-shout. Greed, startled, pulled the trigger, and the bang echoed, loud in Maes’ mind. He jumped away, hurling himself to the side and crashing onto the ground. Greed cursed at the missed shot, whirling around to see what had happened. 

“Oh, perfect, you again.” He growled, stalking toward her. Envy’s face lit up with an idea, and they whirled around. 

“Stop! I've got a great idea.” Envy strutted forward, grabbing the gun from Greed as he went, handing it to Gracia and setting a hand on her shoulder, emphasizing their words. “Shoot him.”

Maes’ breath caught in his throat as she regarded the gun in her trembling hands. Envy repeated their words to her, some unreadable quality to their voice, and her eyes glazed over and her hands stopped trembling as she detachedly raised the gun. 

“Gracia,” Maes began, talking fast, sweat rolling down his face and back, “Gracia, please. I don't know what they're doing to your mind, but we can get through this. It's me. Please, try to fight whatever it is, Gracia-” her hand trembled, but she did not put down the weapon. The Homunculi were laughing at his attempts to talk her down. 

 

The sound of a shot echoed, as soft as _thunder_ , across the area. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

_Riza had wanted to give them privacy, but ultimately, their raised voices meant she could still hear them. She almost dropped the glass of water she was holding at Gracia’s reply to Maes’ question, and furrowed her brow, reminding herself that it wasn't her place to intervene. However, when the sound of their voices disappeared, she poked her head through the doorway to check the now empty living room. Silence reverberated through the house. A cold, heavy uneasiness settled into the pit of her stomach, and she walked to the phone, dialing the number for the phone they'd set up in Hohenheim’s old study. After a few rings, she heard the sound of it being picked up._

_“Hello?” Asked Roy’s voice on the other end._

_“It's me,” she replied, and something in her voice must have spoken of her uneasiness, because his reply was almost immediate._

_“Is everything okay?” He asked, and she could almost see him slightly curling over the receiver._

_“Not entirely. Something’s going on with Gracia, and while at first I didn’t want to intervene, it seems serious. We’re her friends, we should be there for her. She took off, though, and I don’t know where she headed- I think she accidentally brought Maes with her, though.” At her blunt words, devoid of masks or code, Roy could tell that she felt they didn’t have time for that in the midst of whatever situation was going on.  He didn’t bother to ask if she was at home, because that would be one of the only places she felt it was safe enough for that blunt kind of talk._

_“I’ll be right up. We can comb the city together. It may not be much, but at least it’ll be something.” He promised. Her small relieved sigh was not lost on him. “See you soon, then!” He said, and after hanging up the phone he turned to Ed and Al, standing behind him._

_“Comb the city? But we were working!” Ed exclaimed, mock affront betraying the joke._

_“Yeah, Elric. The world doesn’t revolve around you, y’know.” Roy replied, deadpan. Al resisted the urge to sigh, but did shift, and his armor clanked with the motion. Roy extended a hand out to each of them. “Come on, can’t just leave you here. Gracia and Maes need to be found.” At Roy’s words, Ed frowned, and his brow furrowed._

_“Ms. Gracia and Hughes? Why do they need to be found?” Al asked meekly. Roy took a second to fly with them to his door before replying._

_“Because something serious is going on with Gracia, and she and Hughes flew off somewhere. Riza believes we need to intervene, so that’s what ‘comb the city’ was about.” With that, he strode up to his door, unlocking it with a palm pressed against its surface and holding it open to usher Ed and Al inside._

_Riza had walked out into the hallway to greet them, and looked at Roy with incredulity before greeting the boys. Roy couldn’t help but grimace sheepishly at the question Riza’s look asked, and shrugged. It wasn’t as if he was going to leave them there without knowing the situation. Riza rolled her eyes, but seemed to concede, leading them from the foyer into the living room._

_She explained Maes’ concern for Gracia, as well as what she had gleaned about the conversation before their disappearance. Ed’s brow was furrowed, and eyes downcast, and Al’s posture curled in on himself. Riza sighed, seeing their worry about Gracia and Maes._

_Roy leaned forward, his face calm but voice slightly strained. “Alright. Let’s see what we can do. If they’ve gone down to Earth, our job is much harder, but for now let’s assume they’re still in the Pantheon.” He thought for a moment before continuing. “The city’s organized with the Amphitheater in the center. Let’s start there and circle out. Sound good?” Riza nodded, tuning to the Elrics._

_“I’m assuming you’d like to join us?” They nodded, and Riza contemplated for a second. “Al, stick with me. Ed, with Roy. We’ll cover ground quicker if we search in two teams spiraling out.” Hesitation flickered across Roy’s face for a split second, but he agreed, and Riza set a hand on his shoulder while Ed and Al grabbed his hands. In seconds, they were standing at the amphitheater._

‘We need some kind of signal,’ _Roy realized, and had just opened his mouth to speak when the sound of a gun firing startled him._

Riza whirled around, and grabbed Roy’s hand. “The south side!” She exclaimed, and Roy instantly knew what she meant.  When Roy saw the scene on the south side of the building- where the gunshot had come from- his blood ran ice cold. Riza let out a small, involuntary gasp.

Before them, maybe 50 yards away, stood three Homunculi. They were laughing and talking loudly, and Greed was walking towards someone with their back toward them. Gracia.

Gracia, who stood, shaking, holding a gun loosely at her side with one hand presumably held up in front of her mouth in horror. 

Maes lay on the cobblestone across from her, and they couldn’t see a wound but they could see the wine-red pool of blood spilling out around him. 

Riza broke out into a run, and Roy was quick to follow. The Homunculi noticed them, and with loud cursing from Greed and whining from Envy, they disappeared, leaving Gracia. She had dropped the gun, and was staring in shock as the world moved around her, and she was simultaneously aloof and excruciatingly conscious of every passing second. 

Riza beat Roy there by a few seconds, and reached out to steady Gracia and guide her to sitting. Roy reached his best friend and carefully helped him sit up, grimacing and cursing under his breath as he saw the dark bloodstain blossoming across Maes’ stomach. Riza looked above Gracia’s bowed head and caught his eye, and she could tell how scared he was under the forced semblance of calm. She racked her brain for a solution, forcing herself to think. When the Elrics cleared the corner of the building, she knew what had to be done. She murmured to Gracia, before running to meet them. 

“Ed! Al!” She called.”Maes needs your help!” Ed threw a nod at her as he ran, and the three of them dashed back towards Maes and Roy. 

The boys froze when they saw Maes, and Al let out a plaintive “Mr. Hughes…” at having to face his injury. Riza’s heart ached for them- certainly, the boys had experienced much loss in their lives, and she didn’t want them to suffer through experiencing more- but if they wanted to prevent that they had to act quickly. Roy must’ve caught on to her idea, because he carefully and quickly led the Elrics closer. 

“Gracia was so close that the bullet went clear through. Think you can use your abilities to recreate the tissue?” Roy asked. Gracia had moved over and was murmuring to Maes, cradling his head. She looked up at them pleadingly. 

An indecipherable mix of emotions washed over Ed’s features, and he looked to Al, hands clenched. He must’ve been able to read something in the posture of his brother’s armor, because with almost sorrowful determination he turned back to Maes and crouched down beside him. 

With a centering inhale, exhale… he clapped his hands together, and blue light flashed over Maes’ body, illuminating his face in a ghostly blue. As they watched, their friend’s tissue knit back together, and in a few seconds there wasn’t even a scar. Ed breathed out shakily. It was just a small amount of tissue, which was why it ha been successful, and it had been for a very good reason… but this was the first time he had created skin and muscle and human tissue and it brought back memories of that day. He felt bile burning in the back of his throat, but watching Maes’ breathing even out and his wife start crying out of the rushing strength of her relief- a goddess of family and nurturing, he realized belatedly, of course this would affect her even more significantly- and with the feeling of Riza’s and Roy’s hands on his back, supporting him physically, the sick feeling in his gut began to pass. 

(When he would tell Winry about this, years later and after hearing the full story, she would smile gently and take his hands in her own, murmuring that while he took his past mistakes as a sign that his hands were forever scarred, this was an opportunity where they could bring life and happiness too. He would never forget that moment of gentle, quiet intimacy and love, and always seek to reciprocate it and live up to it.)

 

* * *

 

The immediate aftermath was relatively simple. Maes had risen, shaken but alright, and scooped Gracia up in a hug. They’d gotten him a new shirt to change into and disposed of the blood-soaked one. Gracia had stopped visibly shaking, and currently was holding a cup of tea from Xing that Riza had brewed for her. They’d all gone back to Gracia and Maes’ home, and Roy had stopped by to let Winry know that soon he and the Elrics would be back and they could resume what they’d been doing. 

But now the immediate aftermath was over, and this was what Gracia had been fearing. They were sat on the couch. The silence had soured and turned uncomfortable; Ed and Al shifting in their seats and Maes’ expectant gaze fully resting on her. Even so, he threaded an arm around his waist, allowing her to gratefully curl into his side a bit and smile at Riza, who had laid a hand on her knee. She breathed in, she breathed out. This was necessary. 

Beginning the story in the Devil’s Nest, she described what had happened, and all that had transpired behind the scenes. The group was silent during her explanation, offering physical comfort but allowing her to speak at her own pace. When she finished, there was a pregnant silence, until it was broken by Roy’s sigh. 

”I apologize that we weren’t there as we should have been. You’re a good friend, and yet all this happened without my- our- knowing.” Riza nodded, and Maes’ grip tightened around her. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to resist,” Gracia said, her voice wavering and teary. “It took Envy consciously letting go of my mind, and now they know about you, boys.” Riza offered an encouraging, gentle smile. 

“That will be okay. We can bring Ed, Al, and Winry up here so that we can protect them. We didn’t expect to be able to keep the secret of their father hidden forever.” Her words and everyone’s steady presence bolstered Gracia, and some of the tension in her melted away. Ed nodded from his seat on the chair. 

Gracia sighed. “I’m exhausted, I’m afraid.” She said, smiling thinly, and everyone excused themselves to allow her to rest. Gracia’s wings slightly curled around her as the others left, her shoulders becoming tense- she was exhausted, and knew it was foolish, but nevertheless anxious at the prospect of being alone with Maes. He seemed to recognize this, giving her space and quiet until she approached him. 

“I can’t even express how terrible I feel about what I did,” she whispered, arms crossed in front of her and eyes downcast. Maes stood, wrapping her up into another hug, resting his cheek against her hair. 

“You would never have done that if you had been in control,” he reminded her gently. “That doesn’t change the fact that it happened, but… it means we can get through this. I still trust you, and still love you.” Gracia choked up at his gentle words, raising a hand to wipe at her eyes and giving a short, tearful laugh. 

“I…. you’re right. We can get through this, eventually. Thank you, Maes,” she whispered thickly. “Thank you.”

 

She held him tighter, and Maes resolved not to let go of the embrace until she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took me so long! It's been written- this whole thing has been written since before I began posting- but life and school really got a hold of me and wouldn't let go. I'm sorry. But here we are for the conclusion. I thank you, sincerely, and hope that you enjoyed it :)


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